Barrel hoop fastener



Nov; 21, 1944. E, A. JOHNSON 2,363,423

BARREL HOOP FAS TEN ER Filed Jan. 16, 1942 fldezzf r [W20 14 zwoz Patented Nov. 21, 1944 Eric A. Johnson, Chicago, 111., assignor'to Inland Wire Products Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 16, 1942, Serial No. 427,014

s'olaims. ((1217-89) This invention relates to means for securely and removably fastening a closure onto the end of a barrel.

One object of the invention is to provide an im-' proved fastening means which. can be applied to the barrel when it is originally assembled, or at least before it is packed, and at a, place apart from that in which the packing operation is per-.

formed.

Another object is to utilize fastening devices which do not have any exposed sharp or rough portions liable to cause injury to persons in handling the bar'relor unpacking it.

. .A further object is to eliminate the use ofnails in applying a binding hoop forsecuring a closure onto the topof a barrel.

And it is. also an object of the invention to provide a simple and efiicient fastening which can be economically manufactured and which shall add substantially nothing to the present cost of assembling. a barrel, readly for packing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following-description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in

which: 1

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a barrel fitted with hoop fastening-means embodying this invention and showing said means in fastening position for securing a closure applied to the barrel.

Figure 2 is. a fragmentary perspective view showingthe upper end of the barrel with the closure binding hoop as first applied over the fastening members. V

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top of the barrel showing the closure hoop forced down to its final position.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary side elevation showing one form of fastening member as applied to the hoop. a

Figure 5 is an edge view of the fastener shown in Figure 4 and with a fragment of the hoop shown in section.

, Figure 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of fastener with a fragment of the hoop to which it is secured. I

' Figure 7 is an edge view of the fastener with a fragment of the hoop shown in section.

Figure 8 shows a hoop fitted with. a further modification of the fastener which is adapted to be folded into the plane of the hoop when desired.

Figure 9 is an edgeview of the fastener shown in Figure 8, being taken as a section at line 99 of Figure 8.

There are many instances in which wooden bar- 'heretofore employed. Figure 1 shows a typical most wire hoop 5 has attached to it a plurality of inner face of the wire hoop 5; the extremities barrel. The wire members 8 are secured to the 50- may be laid over the open top of the barrel and rels are packed, and then instead of being fitted 55 with a wooden head they are closed by means 01' a flexible covering of burlap or other suitable sheet material which is securedtightly in place by means of a binding hoop slipped over the marginal portions of the flexible cover and then fas tened to the upper end of the barrel staves. This practice has been followed in packing meat for certain purposes. However, in using a wooden binding hoop and attempting to secure it in position by means of nailsdriven through the hoop and into the upper ends of the barrel staves, it

frequently happens that the resiliency of the staves or the hoop, or both, causes the nailsto fly from the surfaceof the hoop, particularly if they are struck a slightly glancing blow. There is always the chance of these lost nails falling into I open barrels of meat waiting for coverings, with ultimately serious results, either by way of damage to a meat grinder or at the time the meat is utilized for food. At the same time, the difficulty of driving nails into the resilient materials of the barrel causes delay in the operation, and nails driven sonear the ends of the barrel staves do not provide a particularly secure fastening, in any event. Then to uncover the barrel the nails must be withdrawn from the binding hoop, which is not always readily accomplished.

The present invention is designed to overcome these difficulties and to provide an improved form of fastening which is more efficientthan those Wooden barrel I provided with a series of Wire hoops 2, 3, 4 and 5, and with the usual wooden.

hoop 6 at the top for holding in place the flexible closure 1 of burlap or like material. The upperf astening members 8 which may be of the form shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this form each of the elements 8 comprises a length of wire bent double with its free end portions 8 welded to the of the portions 8 are thus disposed against the outer face of the barrel when the hoop is applied thereto so that there are no sharp or rough ends exposed to cause injury to anyone handling the hoop 5 in position to stand substantially at right angles to the plane of the hoop so that when it is applied to the head of the barrel the fasteners 8 project upwardly. Then the flexible cover 1 its edges tucked between the upstanding fasteners a and the sides of the barrel, and also folded down over the ends of the staves in the intervals between the fasteners 8. The binding hoop 6 is then entered over the upstanding ends of the fasteners 8 so as to encompass them, as shown in Figure 2, and is finally forced down into clamping position over the cover I and over the slightly tapered upper end of the barrel, as shown in Figure 3. Finally the fasteners 8, which are of pliable material, are bent over the hoop 6, as shown in Figure 1, thus securing it firmly in place. With the fasteners 8 attached to the inner face of the wire hoop 5, the latter acts as a stop to determine the final position of the hoop 6, and this hoop is thus held locked between the wire hoop 5 and the bent-over fasteners 8.

Since each of the wire hoops 2, 3, 4 and 5 is held in place by means of short staples 9 driven into the barrel staves at intervals, the wire hoop 5 is thus securely anchored to the outer wall of the barrel and the fasteners 8, being attached to this hoop 5, and bent over the hoop 6, effectively hold the latter in its proper position on the barrel. But when it is desired to unpack the barrel the hoop 6 is very readily removed by merely bending up the ends of the fasteners 8 to approximately their original shape, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Then the hoop 6 can be slipped off and the closure member I immediately removed. The staples 9 are not long enough to project through the inner surface of the barrel wall, and since the fasteners 8 are attached to the inner face of the hoop 5 there are no sharp or ragged projections which could cause injury in handling the barrel or its contents.

. Figures 6 and 7 show a slight modification of the construction in which the fastener i is also made of wire, bent double and Welded at 10 to the inner face of the hoop But in this form the lower end portions Hl of the fastener project past the plane of the hoop 5 and are bent inwardly and sharpened at ID, as seen in Figure 7, so that with a single hammer blow they can be driven into the surface of the barrel to supplement the staples 9 in securing the hoop 5 thereto. These sharpened tangs of the fastener ID will not be long enough to pierce the barrel wall so as to present any dangerous projections on its inner surface.

Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a construction in which the fasteners [2, instead of being welded to the hoop shown at 5, have their end portions bent and closed to form eyes I2 -by which the fasteners l2 are permanently attached the hoop 5*. If desired, the hoop may have slightly offset portions 5 forming shoulders which definitely position the fasteners 12 on the hoop and determine their circumferential spacing thereon. This construction will be employed in much the same manner as any of the others, but has, the advantage that in packaging the hoops 5 'for shipment to a barrel factory the fasteners 12 may be swung into the plane of the hoop, as shown in Figure 8, so as to make a fiat article, easy to pack and handle.

swung downwardly below the plane of the hoop 5*, while the flexible cover 1 is being placed over the end of the barrel; then the fasteners may be swung upwardly to retain the covering temporarily until thebinding hoop 6 is applied. It will be understood that the hoop 5 will be secured to the barrel by staples 9 in the same manner as the hoop 5 shown in Figure 1.

While there is shown and described herein certain specific structure embodying the invention,

And in actual use, if desired, the fasteners I2 may be it will be manifest to those skilled in the art that various modifications and re-arrangements of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and 5 that the same is not limited to the particular form herein shown and described, except in so far as indicated by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention: 1. In combination with a barrel, a hoop fitted 10 around the outside of the barrel and near its upper edge, metallic retaining members attached to said hoop at intervals in its circumference and each extending upward from the hoop and adjacent the outer surface of the barrel, a flex- 15 ible covering extending over the upper end of the barrel with its marginal portion folded down over the edge of the barrel, and a second hoop, independent of said covering and unattached thereto, fitted over said margin of the covering in frictional engagement therewith and also oncompassing the retaining members with the upper ends of said members extending above said second hoop, together with fastening means independent of said second hoop securing the first 5 mentioned hoop to the barrel, the end portions of said retaining members being bent down over the upper edge of the second hoop looking it onto the barrel.

2."In combination with a barrel, a hoop with means by which it is fastened in place around the outside of the barrel and near its upper edge, metallic retaining members anchored to said hoop at intervals in its circumference and each extending upward from the hoop and adjacent the outer surface of the barrel, a flexible covering extending over the upper end of the barrel with its marginal portion folded down over the edge of the barrel and between the outer surface of the barrel and the inner faces of said retaining members, and a second hoop, independent of said covering and unattached thereto, fitted over said margin of the cover in frictional engagement therewith, the end portions of said retaining members being bent down over the upper edge of the second hoop, whereby said hoops and retaining members hold the covering on the barrel without puncturing said covering. 3. In combination with a barrel, a closed hoop fitted around the outside of the barrel near its upper edge, metallic retaining members disposed against the inner face of the hoop and attached to said hoop at intervalsand each extending upward from the hoop and adjacent the outer surface of the barrel, a flexible covering extending over the upper end of the barrel with its marginal portion folded down over the edge of the barrel, a second hoop, independent of said covering and unattached thereto, fitted over said margin of the covering in frictional engagement therewith and stopped by the first mentioned hoop at a position adjacent and above the first mentioned hoop, clamping said margin of the covering against the outer surface of the barrel and also encompassing the retaining members, and fastening means independent of said second hoop securing the first mentioned hoop 

